Birthday Surprises
by bridge186
Summary: Title pretty much says it.  Just a light hearted story about what happens when Gibbs gets taken out for his birthday.
1. Chapter 1

_**Birthday Surprises**_

Disclaimer: Um, yeah, so I don't own any of these characters just a lil FYI, incase you didn't know.

A/N: This was gonna be a quick little one shot but I'm not sure so I guess I'll decide after I read some of your thoughts. So please review and let me know what ya think. Later, Bridge.

**NIGHT**

The door opens to reveal a darkened living room. Ziva, Tony, and McGee enter Gibbs' safe haven. They quickly close the door. Tony immediately breaks the silence by dropping his load of shopping bags.

"Bout freakin' time he left.I feel like my hands are gonna fall off for lack of blood circulation." He complains as he makes his way to the kitchen.

Ziva walks over to the couch and places her bags down on the worn cushion. She slowly turns and takes in her surroundings. So familiar and yet mysterious. Usually when she comes here she is in need of help or a hiding place; thus, she never really took the time to really observe her surroundings for what it is: Gibbs. The house was like the man. Presentable and yet rugged. She considered the changes she'd make if she were-

Her thoughts are interrupted by McGee.

"Can we just hurry up please. I don't wanta get caught doin' this." He says in a whisper as he comes up beside her.

"Chillax McPansy. We got plenty of time." Tony quips as he returns with a sandwhich.

They both give him a disapproving look.

"What?" He says as he retrieves the bags he'd dropped at the door and moves them to the couch with theirs.

"Tony's right, Tim. He's with Ducky. We've plenty of time." She reassures him.

"Yea, I guess your right. It just feels weird bein' here uninvited, and I still don't feel right not including Abbey." McGee tells her.

"Abbey tells too much." Tony interjects between his bites of his sandwhich.

Ziva slaps his arm. He shrugs.

"What he really means is she's excitable especially when it comes to Gibbs." She says. Tony points at her and nods to McGee.

"I'm just sayin' that I think she'd have liked to be a part of it." McGee says in Abbey's defense.

Tony shoves the last of his sandwhich into his mouth and dusts off his hands.

"Let's get started." He mumbles while still chewing.

They begin pulling items out of the bags.

**LOCAL BAR- SAME TIME**

"I don't see why we couldn't just go out for a nice meal Jethro." Ducky complains as they enter the small establishment.

"Because I just wanta drink, Duck." Gibbs says honestly as they make their way to the bar. They squeeze through many young people who are obviously already drunk and are 'dancing' on the dance floor. A young woman around 25 'dances' her way into Gibbs and effectively blocks their way to the bar. She rests her arms around his neck. He can't help but find her attractive. She is tall and slim with shoulder length brown hair that is tussled from her flinging about. She holds to him as if he were his date. His hands fall to her hips for lack of anywhere else to put them.

"Excuse me, my dear. We were just making our way to the bar!" Ducky screams over the music.

She is slow to respond but she looks up at Gibbs and he smiles at her. She then moves on into the crowd and begins dancing with another couple. Gibbs and Ducky finally make it to the bar. Gibbs exhales and takes a seat. Ducky sits next to him.

"Sad isn't it Jethro. The way young people dance nowadays is…well it's appalling." Ducky tells him as Gibbs orders his drink.

"What?" Gibbs turns to him.

"I said the dancing is appalling. Don't even get me started on the music. And that girl. Well, she should be ashamed of herself. You're old enough to be her father."

"Yea, thanks for reminding me." Gibbs responds as he downs his first bourbon.

He knows Ducky's correct in his observations. The dancing is more like humping, the music makes no sense and simply repeats the same phrases over and over, and most of the people there are barely over the drinking age and have no clue about the real world. But it was the first bar they had found that didn't have too long of a line to get in, and Ducky's story of his year in Africa was interesting but seemed to never end and he didn't have the heart to hurt his friends feelings. Now, he feels guilty since it was Ducky's idea to go out tonight in the first place and he seems to not be having a good time.

Ducky turns and faces the dancing crowd. They all seem to be enjoying themselves, as ridiculous as they appear.

"You know this reminds me of the time when…" Ducky begins his story. Gibbs signals to the bartender for more drinks. He listens to his good friend recount his story as he drinks.

**GIBBS' HOUSE**

McGee is busy decorating, Tony is attempting to help him, and Ziva is gathering the things she will need for her mission tonight: dinner. She doesn't know her way around Gibbs' kitchen so it takes her a bit longer than usual.

"You know, you're really good at this McGee. I think you missed your calling." Tony picks at him.

"I used to help throw my sister's birthday parties." He says unashamed.

"I can tell. You're like—"

"Tony. Would you just drop it and help."

"I'm trying, but I don't get this streamer things. Every time I do the fold thing you told me to do everything gets all tangled up and it doesn't look like the ones you did anyway." He says in frustration.

"You have to untwist as you go." Ziva says as she walks past him to get the last item she needs for the meal.

"I don't see why we didn't just throw a kegger like we used to in college." Tony said.

"Because none of us are kids anymore." She says as she walks past him. He stops and looks at her, lifts his eye brows, and then holds up the tangled mess of streamers.

"I got it Tony just do something else." McGee says as he takes the streamers from him.

"Yea, I'll do something else. I'm goin' to get some drinks. I, uh, forgot 'em." Tony tells him. He Leaves.

McGee finishes the decorating. He steps back and looks at his accomplishment. Ziva enters the room and looks on with him.

"Very nice, McGee." Ziva tells him. Shocked at how well he did decorating the room.

"Need any help in there?" He asks her.

"No everything is fine." She reassures him. He seems anxious.

"You can go ahead and call Abbey now."

"Thank You." He rushes as he scurries away to call her.

Ziva begins picking up the trash left over from their decorating. Tim returns and helps her. They finish and sit down on the couch. Ziva calls Ducky.

**BAR**

"Hello!" Ducky screams into his phone. "What, I can't hear you!... Oh, yes mother, of course I can. I'll be there as soon as I can." He says and closes his phone. "It appears our evening must be cut short. Mother appears to be hearing noises outside and is frightened."

Gibbs who is tipsy stands and responds, "That's okay, Duck." He wraps one arm around Ducky's shoulders. They head out.

"I'll drive." Gibbs says. Grinning like an idiot.

"Oh, that's alright. I'll drive. You should rest." Ducky's tells him. Gibbs shrugs and gets into the car. He taps a rhythm on the dash as Ducky starts the car.

**GIBBS' HOUSE**

A loud bang on the door. McGee answers it nervously. Tony is kicking the door while holding three bags.

"Here take these. There's more in the car."

"What is all this?" He asks as Tony shoves the bags into his arms.

"I think this is plenty!" He yells to Tony after looking into the paper sacks and seeing all the alcohol. "There's only five of us!"

"You can never be too safe." Tony says as he returns with a final bag. "And I figure with all these decorations—"

Ziva enters the room with a large cake and places it on the table.

"What is all this? They are going to be here any second. Kick the lights." She says as she takes the bag from Tony.

"It's hit the lights not kick." He corrects her as he heads for the light switch.

McGee and Ziva take the alcohol out of the bags and place it on the table. Ziva quickly opens a bottle of vodka and quickly turns it up. McGee observes her funneling the drink. She lowers the bottle from her lips and her face contorts as the burn hits her. McGee has a scared look on his face. She lights the candles.

"You said this would be a good idea. You said he'd—"

"I know what I said. I lied. How am I supposed to know how he's gonna react. Where's Abbey?"

"Can't come. She's sick. And now so am I." He says nervously.

"Hey, here they come." Tony says as he hits the lights and the ducks down as he rushes back to where they are. He and McGee pick up the cake.

Gibbs and Ducky make their way to the house. Gibbs is still a bit too happy and is walking with one arm slung over Ducky's shoulder and he repeatedly pats Ducky's chest.

"Yea, you're a good pal Duck… I don't know what I'd do." He rambles. He stumbles up the steps.

"Do be careful Jethro." Ducky says as he follows him up the steps.

"Always am Duck." He says as he opens his door. He enters the house and flips the light switch.

"SURPRISE!" They all yell in unison. Tony and McGee are holding a large cake with way too many lit candles on it.

Gibbs stops and stares at them. He's a bit drunk so he takes a moment to process everything. Streamers hang from the ceiling and crisscross each other, there is food prepared and spread across a table in the middle of the room, music is playing, a cheesy birthday banner is stretched across a doorway. Ducky gently gives him a push on into the room. He closes the door behind them.

Tony, Ziva, and Tim look on, confused. Ducky makes his way to them.

"Ducky you were supposed to have a drink not get him—" Ziva starts but Ducky interrupts her.

"I know, but he seemed to be really down on himself after I said he was old enough to be a young lady's father, and he just kept drinking one after the other until he was- well like this." He says indicating Gibbs who still hasn't said anything. Instead he's just standing there looking at them. Suddenly somber and sober.

"Hey." Is all he says. He makes his way over to the table where they all stand and ignores the cake. He grabs a bottle of liquor and leaves the room. They all stand dumbfounded.

"I think that went well." Tony says as he and Tim place the cake back on the table. Tony blows out the candles. Ziva stands still as stone.

"Right, so, I'm gonna go…I'll just see you guys on Monday…and yeah—" McGee says as he backs his way to the door and leaves.

"I am sorry my dear. It all looks wonderful. You three did a magnificent job." Ducky says to Ziva, trying to make up for Gibbs' rude behavior.

"It's fine Ducky. I shouldn't have forced you all into doing this with me."

"You didn't force us. We wanted to do this, didn't we Anthony?" Ducky turns to Tony who is making himself an overflowing plate of food.

"What?...Yes. Absolutely… I'm just gonna go too. I—just let me grab that—" he says as he reaches beside Ziva and grabs a bottle of liquor. "Ducky can I give you a ride, you know, 'cause you rode with Gibbs…and uh—"

"Yes, yes. Thank you." They both awkwardly rush out, Tony with his hands full.

Ziva feels out of place in addition to the feeling like the past three hours of preparation time was wasted and like her idea for a surprise party had backfired entirely. She'd hoped it would give him an opportunity to relax and enjoy his birthday, but instead he seemed annoyed by them.

She doesn't know whether she should leave or clean up or what. Gibbs still hasn't returned.

Finally, she begins taking the streamers down. She yanks them furiously. Anger rising in her as her eyes begin to water. She's hurt and angry. She finally has all the streamers in one pile, them she pulls down the banner and tosses it into the pile. She takes the dishes back to the kitchen and attempts to put them back where she found them. However, her frustration gets the better of her, and she resorts to just putting them on the counter. She goes back and forth from the table to the kitchen trying to return things to their rightful place and the food, the tons of wasted food, into the fridge until all that's left is the liquor and the cake. Tears are slowly making their way down her cheeks.

She places the overload of liquor on the counter and decides that's the only place to put it. She drops the last bottle that she'd drank from earlier and some of the liquid spills onto the floor, but luckily the bottle is plastic. She stands and grabs a hand towel and grumbles to herself as she cleans up the liquid.

She finishes and returns to the table for the cake. She grabs the large cake and returns it to the kitchen. When she returns the music is no longer playing and Gibbs is picking up the pile of torn streamers and decorations.

"Ziva." He says. Startled, thinking everyone had quickly cleaned up and left after his silent treatment.

"Gibbs." She returns his shock. She's uncomfortable. "I was just leaving." She quickly adds and makes her way toward the door.

"Are you crying?" He asks.

She feels her face and wipes the few tears there.

"No." She lies.

He drops the trash in his hand and circles around her.

"Ziva—"

"I'm fine." She states calmly. "I'm sorry we came uninvited." She says as she steps around him.

"I'm sorry." He says quickly. She stops. A moment of silence ensues and she again has to wipe her eyes. He steps back in front of her and blocks her path. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted that way."

"We just wanted you to have a good birthday." She says sadly.

"I know. And I ruined it." He almost whispers.

"Why?"

"Because to me it isn't something to celebrate. Anymore."

"But you always celebrate Abbey's birthday. You give her gifts and take her to dinner. Why do that if it isn't something to celebrate?" She asks him.

"Hell, I don't know. 'Cause she likes it."

"Well I thought you would like it since you always seemed to enjoy taking her out for her birthday. I thought maybe you'd like for someone to do it for you, but I can see I was wrong. Don't be mad at Tony or McGee though. Or Ducky. I made them help so I'm the one to blame." She says sadly as she looks him in the face.

"Why did you want to do this Ziva? Really?"

"I told you because I thought you would like it." She lies and looks away.

"That's not it, and you know it. Now why?" He insists.

"Because of Tony…(she laughs awkwardly)"

"Tony?"

"Tony tells me of how things used to be—when Kate was his partner. Before Ari—and me. And he always tells me of how you used to laugh more and how you and she would smile at each other as if you both knew something he did not. He says you were happier then and that sometimes you would look at her as if you cared for her more than as a colleague, and (she looks him in the eyes) I don't know. I guess maybe I was hoping that I might be able to see you that way tonight (she looks away) or that maybe someday you would look at me that way."

"I wasn't involved with Kate." He assures her.

"Just like you aren't involved with me." She whispers as she backs away from him. Gibbs feels a bit dizzy as he thinks about what she's said or is trying to say.

"Ziva, I don't know what you're trying to say or what you want me to say. I can't think." He says as he raises his hands to his head and runs them through his fingers through his hair.

"I just wanted you to be happy again, and I thought this would help."

"Well, it doesn't." He says a little harsher than he'd planned.

"Right." She says and turns away from him. He stands there looking at her. He's angry at himself and her.

"It makes me feel—It makes me feel old—and alone. There I said it." He says angrily as he kicks the pile of decorations. "Another year older, another year closer to retirement. And then what? What do I have Ziva? Nothing." The last part is raspy as it barely passes through his lips because he is ashamed of himself.

"You can have me." She tells calmly him as she turns back to him.

"What?"

"I said you can have me Gibbs." She repeats as she makes her way to him.

"You don't mean what you're saying.""

"Gibbs, first, I am a grown woman and have been for quite some time so don't tell me I don't know what I am saying and second, you aren't that old" She is in his personal space now. He smiles as he looks down at her. Her curly hair as unruly as ever and she is dressed comfortably, but still manages to look incredibly beautiful as always.

"Are you sure?" He asks her again.

"What do I have to do to prove to you that you are the one that I want to be with. You. And I don't care that you're older than me or that you work excessively, or even that you are not a very good decorator. I want you and I have for quite some time." She wraps her arms around his neck and rests her hands on the back of his head.

"I just want you to be sure before anything happens because… well, I don't think I could stand it if I couldn't see you anymore. I've had to live through that a couple times already and if things go any further between us—I don't think I could handle it if something happened and you left."

"What're you trying to say?" She asks. He places his hands on her hips.

"I'm trying to tell you I love you. (she's shocked) Ziva, I've loved you for so long it hurts. I just always thought I was too old for you and that you wouldn't be interested."

She Gibbs' slaps him hard.

"What was that for?" He asks rubbing his head with his hand.

"For taking so long." She says as she pulls his mouth down to hers.

He wraps his arms around her waist and deepens the kiss. He feels moisture on his cheek. He breaks away and looks at her.

"Why are you crying?" He asks.

She shrugs and he pulls her into a tight hug. Her stomach growls, effectively ruining the sweet moment.

"What'd ya say we eat and then continue this upstairs?" He says looking down at her.

"I'm not that hungry" She says as she kisses him quickly before grabbing his hand and pulling him up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ziva's eyes slowly flutter open. Gibbs sits on the side of the bed showered and fully dressed. She quickly blinks and rubs the sleep from her eyes. She notices he is fiddling his thumbs and having a hard time looking her in the eye. She subconsciously pulls the sheet further upon her bare shoulders.

"Good morning." She says, unsure of herself.

"Morning." He mumbles as he leans over and kisses her forehead.

She accepts his gesture but his actions make her feel uncomfortable. He is once again acting distant even though the night before had been filled with promise and what she almost dared herself to think: love. He returns to his spot on the edge of the bed. She remains stoic on the outside while her insides are in turmoil. She is completely confused. His mixed signals are now giving her full blown emotional whiplash. She's speechless, but her stomach isn't. Her stomach betrays her as it grumbles from lack of food. Finally, he turns to her once more.

"You should get dressed and come down for somethin' to eat." Then he stands and walks out of the room. She slams her head back on the pillow before jumping up and dashing into the bathroom with the sheet fully wrapped around her and dragging the floor.

She looks at herself in the mirror.

"You have to get a grip." She chastises herself as she turns the sink on. After several cold splashes of water to her face she still feels tears stinging at her eyes. She decides to shower to give her more time to get her emotions in line.

Gibbs leans against the wall just outside of the bedroom, mentally berating himself. He wasn't trying to push her away, but everything he said seemed to come out wrong. He'd been contemplating whether or not to wake her up because of how content she seemed, and not to mention the fact that she was naked in his bed on his pillow. The before he knew it she surprised him by catching him in thought. He wanted to kiss her but for some reason he'd shied away from it and instead kissed her forehead. Then her stomach growled and he felt guilty because he knew she was hungry. So once again he just came out looking like an ass. _One would think you'd be better at this by now. He tells himself. _ The he hears the shower turn on and his mind wonders to the night before and then to her being in his shower. He instantly wants her again. He re-enters the room and crosses to the bathroom door. He knocks.

She stills herself in the shower.

"Just a minute." She calls as she continues her shower. He twists the door knob. Locked. She locked him out. _Damn, he thinks._ He tries to control himself, he is a gentleman after all. So he waits outside the bathroom door. A few minutes later he hears cabinet doors opening and closing before then hearing the sink turn on. Then finally she opens the door, wrapped in a towel because her clothes are still scattered around the room. She stops as he blocks her path.

"I…uhm…there's ah something I wanted to say to you… about last night." He tries to formulate a coherent thought while looking at her clad only in a towel, still partially wet. He stands there for a moment, not saying anything.

"Gibbs?" She brings him out of his daydream.

"Yeah, well, I was a little drunk and I think I made a mistake about…(she feels as if she's falling, her stomach now bottomless, but it still manages to growl.) You know it can wait. Let's eat." He changes the subject and tries to contain himself even though all he wants is to take her back to bed. "I have some clean sweats if you want… they may be a lil' big but…" he shrugs and goes to his dresser and pulls a shirt and sweats from his drawer. She takes them with a shaky hand. "You okay?" He asks, noticing her hand.

"Mmhmm." She whispers as she nods. He looks at her strangely and then goes down to make breakfast. By the time she comes down he has eggs and coffee made. She enters the kitchen and his assumptions were correct. The clothes effectively swallow her small frame and she walks on the bottom of the pants. Even now he still thinks she looks sexy.

"You did not have to make me breakfast." She says taking a cup of coffee he offers her. She tries to act normal.

"I wanted to. I figured I owed you that much after last night."

"What?"

"The food. All the food you made… for the party." He rushes realizing how he came off. "Had a hell of a time finding the eggs there's so much in there." He sits at the table. She sits cautiously. Almost as if she's afraid the chair is going to be jerked out from under her right at the last moment. They eat in relative silence and while it isn't awkward it is unnerving to Ziva.

"Well, I should go probably go." She says awkwardly after swallowing the last of her food. She stands and he stands with her. He's confused.

"Well—" He starts but she cuts him off.

"What did you want to say to me? Upstairs. When I got out of the shower. I mean. You started to say something and then you didn't and I want to know what it is… Unless you don't want to tell me and in that case it's fine." She rambles.

He steps out from the table and walks closer to her.

"I…uhm… I wanted to apologize."

"Why? You already apologized for the party and you never apologize." She rushes and rambles.

"I wanted to apologize for after…for you know… when we went upstairs-" She stops him with a toss of her hands.

"Oh, I cannot believe this. I have to go." She says as she scrambles away in search of her keys.

"Ziva, wait. That's not what I mean." He tries to stop her but she's still frantically searching for her keys. He grabs her by the arm to stop her and before he knows it she flips him and he's lying on his back.

"Damnit!" He screams as his body aches from the contact with the wood floor.

She immediately stops as the reality of what she just did hits her.

"Gibbs, I am so sorry."

"I was just trying to tell you I can do better! Last night I was drunk. I was gonna say I can love you better than last night! Damnit!" He yells at her without thinking. Now he feels stupid, hurt, and angry all at the same time. _Great. He thinks._

She immediately straddles him on the floor and kisses him.

"I'm sorry." She tells him between kisses. "Last night was fantastic." She assures him as she kisses him again. He breaks the kiss.

"Is that my consolation prize for you breakin' my back?"

"I said I was sorry." She pouts.

"Hmmm." He groans as his hands move under her shirt to massage her hips and lower back. She stills his hands and moves them from under her shirt.

"You are still an ass for making me think bad things." She says as she stands and returns to the kitchen.

"I didn't make you think anything. You did that all by yourself." He calls out to her.

He gets to his feet and arches his back trying to shake the pain there. He follows her to the kitchen. She is cutting a piece of the cake.

"Hey, I didn't get to blow out my candles yet."

"Yes, well maybe you should have thought about that last night." She tells him as she seductively licks the icing from her finger. She returns her full attention to her slice of cake.

He walks up to her and presses himself against her back. He stills her hands and turns her around. She looks at him while chewing a bite of cake. He reaches around her and gets icing on his finger and then wipes a bit on her neck. As she begins to protest he leans down and kisses the spot, using his tongue to remove the icing. She closes her eyes remains still. His kisses move up to her.

"I promise." He whispers. And kisses along her jaw-line, making his way to her mouth. He gently kisses her mouth before moving on to her other ear.

"Tonight will be better. Much better." He whispers before nibbling on her ear. At the same time, he reaches behind her for the cake. This time he takes the saucer that has her piece on it and he turns on his heel and walks out of the room.

He leaves her standing there frustrated and incredibly turned on.

_Tonight, huh… I'll be the judge of that. She grins as she devises a plan.. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Birthday Surprises: Chapter 3**

**A/N**___I apologize for the delay in my update. I am trying to keep both of my current stories updated on a regular basis so I'm splitting what little free time I have writing the two. I hope you enjoy and can't wait to hear your thoughts on the new chapter._

Ziva enters the living room. Gibbs sits on the couch eating his cake while watching football.

"I didn't know you like football." She says as she comes up behind him.

"I may be old but I'm still a man."

She rolls her eyes at him She walks around the couch.

"I need to go home." She tells him.

"Why?"

"Because I need to change for one." She tells him. HE looks her over.

"You look fine to me. It's Saturday… Relax." He says sweetly.

She laughs at him. "I can throw your clothes in the wash."

"You are going to wash my clothes now? You do laundry?"

"Jesus, Ziva, I'm a grown man. Why do you think I can't do anything?"

"I just thought well… well Tony sends his out and since you live alone… I just assumed you'd—"

"No." He says simply as he cuts her off.

A moment passes.

"Well, I still will need to go home and change." She says as she moves her hands to where her back pockets would normally be. Awkward silence. She doesn't know if she should assume he wants her to come back or if she should wait for his invitation. He notices her hesitations.

"Want me to take you?" He asks, hoping she'll say no. She smiles at him.

"No… It's okay. I will, uhm…. See you in a little while." She says smiling can't help but smile back at her because of her awkwardness.

HE stands in an attempt to cease the awkwardness. He kisses her and reaches around to remove her hands from behind her.

"I wish you would relax just a little." He whispers in her ear sending chills down her spine as his breath tickles her ear.

"I'll be here when you get back." He again whispers before kissing her cheek. He starts to move but she stops him.

She takes his face in her hands and kisses his mouth. She moves her hands to his hari as she deepens the kiss. His tongue intertwines with hers as his hands move to her hips and then to her lower back. Suddenly, he feels like a hormone crazed teenager again. His hand takes on a mind of it's own as it moves back to her hip where the oversized sweats barely rest. He gives them a slight tug with one hand while his other hand moves to her neck to hold her in the kiss. The pants begin their decent downward, barely making it to her upper thighs before she grabs them and pulls them back up. She roughly and abruptly breaks the kiss and rushes out the door leaving Gibbs needing more than a cold shower.

Her stomach churns with butterflies the entire drive to her apartment. The giddiness she feels much the same as that felt by most school girls over a crush or first love. She won't admit it, but she's relishing in the feeling.

She reaches her building and rushes up the stairs to her humble abode, ignoring the knowing stares her elderly neighbors give her. She enters her apartment to initiate phase one of her plan… tonight was just too long to wait, and if she's going to make him want her so bad it hurts.

Meanwhile, Gibbs is finishing up making some phone calls in the living room. He closes his phone. Now the plans have been made. Everyone will be showing up soon so he heads for the grocery store. He hopes Ziva is like every other woman he's ever known and that she will take "forever" to get ready. In fact, his plan depends on it.

Ziva is in her room, ransacking her dresser in search of the perfect "outfit." She's already been through the closet and chosen her clothes for tomorrow. However, she just can't seem to find what she's looking for. Finally, she gives up on finding anything in her drawers. She decides to take another shower so she will smell more feminine and like herself. She showers quickly and throws on jeans and a t-shirt. Afterward, she carefully applies her make-up and with a little moose, hairspray, and a little scrunching she is ready to go. She grabs her bag and a long coat and heads out the door.

Gibbs is shopping at the small grocery store a few minutes away from his house. Their prices are higher than those in the city, but he has to hurry if he wants to get everything even close to being ready by the time she returns. He quickly grabs the necessities for the barbeque he has planned. He checks out and heads home. Not long after he returns, Tony arrives via taxi to help him even though he didn't ask him for it.

Ziva navigates her way through the downtown streets. She spies her destination, a small boutique that specializes in the clothes she is looking for. She parks outside, and feels a bit strange coming here alone since the only other time she has been here was with a "girly" friend and that is one adjective that is rarely used when describing Ziva. After shooing away her inhibitions, she grabs her purse and coat and gets out of the car to head inside. She's the only customer in the store, she assumes it is because of the hour of day. Apparently, noon on a Saturday isn't the prime time to buy lingerie. Once again she begins her search. It doesn't take long for her to find several she likes. She narrows it down to the three sets she can't resist, and goes to the counter to make her purchase. After making her purchase she smiles at the young associate before going to the restroom. She enters the stall and quickly strips off her own clothing. She pulls out her recent purchases and decides on the black one. She puts it on and then pulls her jeans back on before wrapping her coat around herself and buttoning it up. She then crams her t-shirt into her bag with the other clothes. She exits the stall and checks her hair and make-up before making her way to her car. Now… to Gibbs' house. Once again the flutters return to her stomach and she can't help but smile. She turns the radio up and all else disappears as her mind focuses on her mission at hand.

Gibbs and Tony are in the backyard cooking on the grill. Tony has already done his best to make potato salad from the directions he'd found online after Gibbs had called him. He wanted to get on his good side after the fiasco of the so called birthday party, but now he's just hoping the dish is edible since it proved more difficult than he'd imagined. Now he and Gibbs are working on cooking the steaks and chicken on the grill, but mostly he's just doing all the talking and goofing off by tossing a football around to himself. Gibbs has actually laughed a few times at his childish actions.

"You didn't have to come help, Tony." Gibbs says.

"I know boss, but I don't mind really." He says coming to a stop next to Gibbs.

"I just thought it be a good way to…"

"Make up for screwin' up Ziva's party." He says without thinking and then stops suddenly when Gibbs gives him a stare.

"I—sorry boss."

They continue their cooking and Tony even manages to get Gibbs to join him in a game of catch while the steaks cook.

Ziva pulls into Gibbs' driveway and parks. She shimmies out of her jeans and tosses them in the passenger floor board. She abandons her bags in the car and hurries up the steps. She smells the barbeque in the air before she reaches the door, and assumes he's in the backyard. Perfect. She goes inside. She quietly makes her way to the living room and removes her cell phone from her coat pocket before tossing the coat behind the couch. She lies down on the couch and does her best to pose seductively. She then flips open her phone and calls Gibbs. She waits for him to answer.

"I think I left some of my clothes in your living room… Can you check it for me?... Well, I would check when I get there but I—will you just check." She is a little frustrated at his stubbornness. Now she waits.

Moments later she hears the backdoor open and then close. Her anticipation rises and she can feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

Gibbs and Tony come in the back door. Tony carrying the football and Gibbs has a plate of food. Gibbs makes a pit stop in the kitchen to drop off the plate.

"I'll turn the game on." Tony says, passing him by.

Ziva heard someone say something, but can't make out what was said. She assumes it was just Gibbs. She closes her eyes to re-establish her courage. He'd told her to relax…right.

Tony walks through the house tossing the football up and down to himself. Gibbs is not far behind him. He reaches the living room and abruptly stops, the football drops to the floor, and Gibbs nearly walks into him. He follows Tony's gaze.

Ziva opens her eyes to find a dumbfounded Tony and Gibbs. She panics.

"Tony!" She scrambles to try to cover herself, but to no avail. Her coat is still on the floor where she tossed it and there's nothing to cover with other than her hands. She throws her arm across her chest to cover her lace clad breasts, and she squeezes her legs together and uses her hand to ensure that her most private area is covered.

"Gibbs!" She wails.

He comes to his senses and head slaps Tony, who has a goofy grin on his face and is practically drooling. His grin fades as he reacts to Gibbs' slap. Gibbs rushes to Ziva's aide and stands in front of her, attempting to block Tony's view. The door bell rings.

"Get the door!" Gibbs yells at him because he is still standing there like a lost puppy.

Tony gives one last glance at Ziva before hesitantly making his way to the door. A million remarks are on the tip of his tongue, but he resists the urge… for now.

"What is he doing here?" Ziva rushes, angrily, as she sits up while still trying to cover up.

"What's he-what're you doin'?"

"I was trying to—I didn't want to wait."

"Really?" He grins at her as he stretches out the word. "'Cause you look sooo sexy right now." He says as he leans down and kisses her. He moves his hand to her bare stomach.

She abruptly stands.

"No." She rushes behind the couch, grabs her coat, and puts it back on. She hears the others voices in the other room and she dashes up the stairs. He makes it to the bottom of the stairs before he's met by his guests.

"Jethro, I'm glad to see you're in better spirits today." Ducky greets him cheerfully.

"Yeah, can you just give me a sec." Gibbs adds before taking the stairs two by two. He reaches the door to his room, and enters.

"What was that all about?" McGee asks to no one in particular.

"Oh—(Tony starts to remark on the situation, but thinks better of it) Maybe he had to pee."

A couple moments pass where they are all just hovering in the foyer before Tony finally takes charge.

"Well, anybody wanta toss the old pigskin?"

McGee hesitates at first, but then decides it'd be fun.

"I'm game."

"Me too." Abbey adds.

"I think I'll just watch my good boy." Ducky adds as he follows them out the back door.

_**A/N**__ So the next chapter will be chucked full of all the good stuff… well at least that's my plan… so 'til then, I hope to hear your thoughts on the story thus far._

_Later,_

_Bridge_

_Oh and if any of you are reading Early Bird, I hope to update that by the end of the week, but no promises 'cause my baby's sick._


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs enters the bedroom to find Ziva ravaging the dresser drawers. Flinging things from side to side before slamming the drawer shut and proceeding to the next. Finally, she finds his t-shirts and yanks one out and roughly puts it on. He admires her unnecessary violence as she releases her frustrations. He can hear her mumbling to herself in another language that he didn't know. H e smirks at her, luckily for him her back is still turned to him.

"Ziva." He says in a low husky voice. She doesn't miss a beat as she turns in response to his voice and shifts into English.

"And you… you just stood there while I was humiliated!" She rants. He holds his hands up.

"Well, I didn't know you'd come in half naked."

"It was supposed to be a surprise. You were supposed to be alone. You're always alone, and the one time—UGH!" She throws her anger at him.

"Would you calm down?" A moment passes. She is in full on defensive mode with her arms crossed over her chest.

"How can I go back out there now?" She admits sadly.

"Well, why would you do that anyway?"

She thinks about it and realizes there is no point in lying about it. She approaches him. 

"I wanted you to want me." She admits in a sultry voice. Switching her mood completely.

"I already want you." He pulls her to him and kisses her.

"I wanted you to find me feminine and sexy." She says, trying to milk the situation for all its worth. He knows this game, but plays along anyway; trying to make her feel better. Besides it was true. He is attracted to her no matter what she wears so why not tell her and cheer her up.

"Ziva, you're feminine…(she looks at him skeptically) sometimes. (he pauses as she turns away from him.) But you're sexy as hell all the time." He tells her as he turns her back around and kisses her, slipping his tongue past her lips enticing her tongue to tango with his.

She pulls away from him. She can tell he's turned on. She smirks at him, satisfied with herself.

"I still cannot go back in front of Tony."

"Why? He's seen you naked before."

"No. He. Has not. (scoffs) He wishes he has."

"What about—"

"I wasn't naked. Although he was still quite turned on with me on top of—"

"Alright, alright. I don't need a reminder. Well, he's seen you in a nikini I know. O saw the pictures and They..were somethin'.

"My bikini is nowhere near as revealing as this." She lifts the shirt, again revealing what's beneath. Gibbs is dumbfounded. She never seemed this sensitive about her body before. He couldn't count the number of times she had used her body and looks to aquire any information she desired. Not to mention that she had even admitted to getting intimate just to gain information. So why is this an issue. His mind continued to wonder but his body was still reacting to her actions. He couldn't help it.

His body is betraying him too quickly. He rushes her. One hand to her hip, another to her cheek, lips relishing the feel of hers as their tongues dance once more. E pushes her until he feels the wall preventing her from going any further.

She pushes his head back, stilling his touch.

"What about everyone else?" She gasps.

"They'll wait." He mumbles before returning to her lips.

"Gibbs…wait…wait…they're" Her attempts to speak are futile.

"We'll be quick." He assures her.

This is all the reassurance she needs.

She wraps her arms around his neck and brings his mouth back to hers. She moves to the offensive and pushes him back toward the bed. Gibbs attempts to lift her into the air but she thwarts his attempt and instead uses her foot to assist her in pushing him on the bed. He's astounded and incredibly aroused. She moves atop him and kisses his neck. He stills her and takes a moment to look her in the eye. Passion and intensity are all she finds there. He brings her back down to his mouth before roughly rolling them to where he is on top.

She yelps unintentionally, and is quickly reprimanded by Gibbs shushing her, and grinning from ear to ear. _Who would've thought this could be so fun in his own house. He thinks._ He hovers above her. The anticipation is more than she can bare. She quickly removes her own shirt before reaching for his. He assists her by removing his own clothes as fast as possible before returning his attention to her. He begins his ministrations.

OUTSIDE

"Tony, you're sucha ball hog." Abbey protests as she returns to his huddle.

"Sorry Abs."

On the opposite end of the yard Ducky and McGee are huddled together.

They break.

"Throw me the ball this time." Abbey yells to Tony as they come to the 'line'.

"Well now I can't 'cause they'd know." He argues.

"Tony, c'mon." McGee says disapprovingly looking at Ducky who isn't really interested in the scrimmage and really isn't productive due to his age and ramblings about statistics. McGee is obviously at a huge disadvantage.

"Where's Gibbs anyway?" Abbey asks.

Tony bites his tongue.

"Not sure. Hike!" He hikes the ball, effectively ending the discussion. He fakes to her and then takes off running past Ducky.

"Where you at McLanky." He jests.

"Oh, c'mon. That's not fair."

"Yes, I do apologize Tim. I must be leaving you at a slight disadvantage." Ducky says remorsefully.

"It's okay, Ducky. I'm getting tired anyway. I think I'm going to check on Gibbs and Ziva. "

"I'm sure Gibbs is on top of it probie." Tony comes to a halt in his path.

"Fine then, Ducky's on your team this time."

They stand toe to toe and nearly nose to nose as Gibbs and Ziva walk out of the house.

"Thought we were going to play some ball." Gibbs says stepping between the two. "You ladies gonna play or dance."

"Play, boss." Tony says in all seriousness, stepping back.

"I pick first." Gibbs says. Ziva grins as she is sure he will pick her.

"Oh, pick me." Abbey squeals.

"Let me see… Abbey." He says giving her a grin. Ziva tries not to feel rejected.

"Alright, let me see who I want." Tony begins.

"Who made you a captain."

"I'm senior." Tony simply states. McGee just shakes his head.

"I want Ziva." He says wiggling his eyebrows.

"I bet you do, but I am on Gibbs' team."

"You can't do that. Only the captains pick the teams. Gibbs. Tell her she can't-"

"Just take McGee and Ducky. Jesus, I'm not a kindergarten teacher… let's play."

Ziva grins sweetly at Tony who simply scowls and walks away.

"Alright bring it in." Tony yells out to his team members.

As the exit their huddles and come to the so called line. Tony makes sure he is lined up across from Ziva.

"So… whatcha been doin' Ziiiva."

"Oh, Tony, Tony, Tony. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Her comment catches Tony off guard.

"Try me."

"Let's just say, Gibbs has a new favorite."

"Hike." Gibbs screams.

She blasts past him, leaving him alone at the line.

He looks up at Gibbs who is looking right back at him with his arms held up as if to say _"What the hell?" _Tony just stands and turns to see Ziva and Abbey celebrating in the so called end zone.

THE END.


End file.
